Kasoukuukan
by I'm Nova
Summary: A misterious new enemy at the borders of Fire Country...will our beloved Konoha ninja be up to the challenge? -only minor editing, sorry, no next chapter yet...It'll come soon, I promise!


Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, if I did the two Green Beasts of Konoha wouldn't exist (I swear, they are more disturbing than any demon or sociopath killer)

Betaed by the awesome Love Psycho, any lasting errors are obviously mine!!

A.N. I know I should be working on other things, but…I'm writing my thesis, so whatever pops in my head I write just to relax.

Kasoukuukan

Prologue

Tsunade glared at the evil paperwork accumulated on her desk. Sometimes it was fun to be Hokage (like when she made the young Uchiha grovel in order to admit him back into Konoha or gave him shitty missions) but why she couldn't delegate…this to someone?

She reached somewhat harshly to take a report, and suddenly the whole pile of paper fell onto the ground, as if cowering away from her. The well ordered documents were now a mess on the pavement of her study, and Tsunade let out a groan before bending down to pick them. She gave a quick look to each one, and after awhile she noticed something.

"Shizune!" she called angrily.

"Yes, Tsunade-sama?" her assistant asked, appearing to her side instantly. The tone of the legendary Sannin didn't faze her: Tsunade was bound to be in a foul mood when she was dealing with paperwork.

"Why wasn't I instantly informed about this?" the Hokage went on, waving a random document under her nose.

Shizune examined it and then objected: "Well…it's just a man of a village near the borders vanishing… we aren't even sure he didn't do it out of his own free will, there could be a number of reasons…".

"Yes, but coupled with this," -Tsunade shoved another paper at her- "and this" -another one- "and this" -another- "what do you tell me, Shizune?" she inquired.

The brunette gasped. "People have been vanishing from our borders for sometime, one here and two there, and we haven't even noticed it!" she said. A person or two going missing wasn't big deal, most of the time the fellow villagers searched on their own, without facing the cost to hire a ninja, but Konoha was still informed because if they didn't know everything that _could _cause problems -one never knew where a missing person went, and what information leaked out with them- how could they…

"It's my job to protect the fire country!" Tsunade raged.

Yes. That.

"And I don't want to suck at it like I do at gambling!" she announced.

"We don't know what kind of enemies we are facing here, but to be able to depopulate our borders so quietly, they must be good. Shizune, fetch me team 8…and seven." Tsunade ordered.

"Both?" Shizune asked, mildly surprised. Such a large squad wasn't assembled since…since Sasuke's retrieval mission.

"Yes. Move!" Tsunade was really pissed off that they didn't notice this sooner, and Shizune scurried away.

Needless to say, team 8 arrived first. Kiba looked surprised when the Hokage didn't give them the mission right away, but he wasn't the favourite loudmouth of Tsunade, and he could smell her irritation enough to know it wasn't time to talk. Shino was unfazed as always, Hinata, despite her progress from her genin days, looked ready to cower, while Kurenai tried to reason what could be the matter.

About half an hour later, Kakashi entered -by the window- with a grinning Naruto, while the other half of the team opted for more a traditional way in. "You got us late again, Kakashi-sensei!" the blond whined. Sakura looked apologetically at her shishou, while the Uchiha assessed the situation with a look.

"You all are going on a mission together," Tsunade announced, proceeding then to tell what she knew -almost nothing- and what she wanted them to do. "Usually I would send a team to gather information and then work a strategy, but this went on long enough before it was brought to my attention, so you go together. I'm sure that team 8 will be able to find the enemy's trail, you are the best trackers we have, after all. Not knowing how many could be out there, team seven is there because they are just insanely powerful. I hope no one takes offence, I'm not saying Kakashi's nin-dog and three sharingan eyes couldn't track whoever it is, or that Kurenai's team isn't powerful per se. Just that against unknown enemies I don't want to take any chances." she ended.

They were all dismissed, but she made Kakashi stay behind. "I do have an excuse for my tardiness…" he began, but she cut him off.

"I didn't make you stay to hear your crazy excuses!" she yelled "I just wanted to make sure your team remembered the teamwork you lecture about."

"It's Sasuke, isn't he?" he asked, defensively.

"If not for the gaki I wouldn't even admit him back on duty, and I know some shinobi think I went too light on him…I could rightfully have him executed, after all. They just wouldn't believe I did it not for the sharingan genes but to make a silly blond happy." she sighed.

"Yes, but as you said, he's 'insanely powerful' too, so it would be a waste not to have him to face this menace, wouldn't it?" Kakashi half-joked.

"I just hope I won't have to regret what I have just done." Tsunade muttered.

"I can't say what goes through Sasuke's head…but I know Naruto and he balance each other. Hinata will make sure team 8 goes along with us for her crush sake…she will be the head of a powerful clan someday and it will do her good to practice like that. The mission will be a success, Tsunade-sama." he guaranteed.


End file.
